All Posts in Category: Health Basics

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally. Your cells use CoQ10 for growth and maintenance. It is a fat-soluble substance which resembles a vitamin.

It is present in every cell in our body (hence the other name of CoQ10 – Ubiquinone, from ubiquitous = present everywhere, omnipresent) and is highly concentrated especially in the cells of the heart as this organ plays the main role in our body’s energy supply process. It comes in two forms: ubiquinol, the active antioxidant form, and ubiquinone, the oxidized form, which the body partially converts to ubiquinol. Many multi-ingredient supplements contain both these forms of CoQ10.

CoQ10 is involved in a number of biological functions including helping the human body to produce energy, neutralizing free radicals (anti-oxidant capabilities) and keeping cells of body and skin healthy and running smoothly.

A young body has the ability to produce as much CoQ10 as it needs. However, various factors such as aging and stress can lower levels of CoQ10. As a result, the ability of cells to regenerate and withstand stress declines.

CoQ10 has been researched extensively. The evidence shows that it is useful to treat:

Heart conditions. CoQ10 has been shown to improve symptoms of congestive heart failure. Although findings are mixed, CoQ10 might help reduce blood pressure. Some research also suggests that when combined with other nutrients, CoQ10 might aid recovery in people who’ve had bypass and heart valve surgeries.

Parkinson’s disease. Early research suggests that high doses of CoQ10 might be beneficial for people in the early stages of this progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement.

Statin-induced myopathy. Some research suggests that CoQ10 might help ease muscle weakness sometimes associated with taking statins. This is because statins lowers your body’s levels of CoQ10 by up to 40%.

Migraines. Some research suggests that CoQ10 might decrease the frequency of these headaches.

Physical performance. Because CoQ10 is involved in energy production, it’s believed that this supplement might improve your physical performance. Research in this area has produced mixed results, however.

CoQ10 is naturally found in high levels in organ meats such as liver, kidney, and heart, as well as in beef, sardines, and mackerel. Vegetarians or vegans who do not eat these foods should find a suitable alternative. Luckily, vegetable sources of CoQ10 include spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower. Legumes such as peanuts and soybeans are the best non-animal sources of the substance.

It is safe to take CoQ10 up to 1,000 mg/day. Studies have not reported serious side effects related to CoQ10 use. It is also very important to remember that taking CoQ10 with meals may significantly increase its absorption.

One might thing that is over the top and not so important but the science behind the itching was always flimsy. The medicine did not really know why we itch and what the neurological basis behind the mundane itch was.
And it’s not over the top at all: chronic itch caused by dry skin, psoriasis, diabetes or even liver disease can be enraging, and the cause has long been a true medical mystery. There is even an Institute designed exclusively to study the All Mighty Itch – called the “Center for the Study of Itch (CSI)”, from Washington University School of Medicine, in St.Louis, Missouri, whose mission is “to increase our understanding of the fundamental underlying mechanisms of itch and translate these findings into treatments for patients suffering from chronic itch.”
Initially, the theory was that a single class of nerve cells detected both itch and pain. According to this theory, the type and intensity of the stimulus told the cells which sensory message to send up to the brain. The nervous system would then respond accordingly. At one level, the theory is correct: pain and itch, as well as heat, are all transmitted by a class of nerve cells known as TRPV1-expressing neurons. When scientists use genetic engineering to create mice that don’t have these cells, the animals don’t feel any of those three sensations.

When we itch, our initial reaction is to scratch it with our fingernails. This is because the pain of scratching helps to override the sensation of an itch. However, this can also create a vicious cycle, as eventually the pain of scratching is blocked out by serotonin in the brain. Without the pain as a distraction, we then feel the itch again. And so the cycle repeats. The best way to avoid this cycle from beginning is to avoid scratching in the first place, and instead, give an itch with no external source a little slap or rub.
But although pain can block out itch, some painkillers – such as morphine – can cause itchiness. And some things that cause itch also cause pain, such as capsaicin, the ingredient that makes chili peppers hot.
Scientists now have several theories about this odd connection between pain and itch. One theory suggests the same set of neurons produce an itch when activated slightly, but result in pain when activated fully. Alternatively, different cells might trigger pain and itch signals, but the signals might interact in the spinal cord. There is some evidence for both ideas.
But over the past 5-6 years new researched emerged.
The molecular geneticists Santosh Mishra and Mark Hoon of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Md., reported they had found specialized neurons that produce a chemical, called Nppb, that sets off the body’s itch response. Mice that were genetically altered to lack Nppb or in which the receptor for the chemical was damaged were resistant to itch-inducing chemicals — but still sensed pain and heat.
According to Hoon, identifying the neurons that act as “specialized gatekeepers” for this system may eventually lead to drugs that offer relief for people suffering from psoriasis, eczema and other difficult-to-treat forms of chronic itch. In this way, the riddle of the itch will have moved closer still toward being solved at last.

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that nutritionists are calling the superfood of the future. It is an easily produced, non-toxic species of Arthrospira bacteria.
You probably never thought you would be adding algae powder from tropical lakes to your smoothies, but spirulina is becoming quite the popular addition for many health-conscious eaters. Even though this superfood is in the spotlight right now because of its nutritional profile, bright green color, and bounty of health benefits, spirulina has been a superfood long before 21st-century nutritionists began adding it to their smoothies.Spirulina is quite possibly one of the oldest life forms on Earth. The first people to ever use this algae as a food source is unclear, but Aztecs for sure and African natives may have consumed the algae in their daily diet many centuries ago in the shape of cakes and broths.

Similar to other sea vegetables, like kelp and chlorella, as far as its nutritional makeup, spirulina is grown around the world, from Hawaii to Mexico and Africa.Dried spirulina contains about 60 to 70 percent protein. It’s actually considered one of the few plant-based sources of “complete protein,” meaning it contains all essential amino acids your body needs but can’t produce on its own (other foods in this category: quinoa, buckwheat, hummus, soy, hump and chia seeds). It’s also a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins A, E, and K.
Spirulina may be more beneficial for vegans or vegetarians that lack adequate iron and vit.B12 in their diet (even though vit.B12 in not absorbed well after ingestion). Touted as a “superfood,” health claims surrounding the blue-green algae include its ability to boost immunity, fight inflammation, and reduce fatigue. It was also proved effective in fighting allergies (allergic rhinitis).
Human evidence suggests that spirulina can improve lipid and glucose metabolism, while also reducing liver fat and protecting the heart. Animal studies are very promising as well, as spirulina has been shown to be of similar potency as commonly used reference drugs, when it comes to neurological disorders. These effects also extend to arthritis and immunology. Given its high antioxidant content, spirulina has often been praised as an immune system booster.

Spirulina has a few active components. The main ingredient is called phycocyanobilin, which makes up about 1% of spirulina (and gives spirulina its deep bluish/greenish hue). This compound mimics the body’s bilirubin compound, in order to inhibit an enzyme complex called Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. By inhibiting NADPH oxidase, spirulina provides potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.
Spirulina – like any blue-green algae – can be contaminated with toxic substances called microcystins. It can also absorb heavy metals from the water where it is grown. For these reasons, it is important to buy spirulina from a trusted brand.
The easiest way to utilize spirulina is to mix it into various foods. While you could simply mix a spoonful into a glass of water, many people find its pungent taste rather off-putting, but adding it to a smoothie, fruit juice, soup or other foods, even dips, can be a great way to take advantage of its many benefits without suffering through the experience. Enjoy!

Intravenous (IV) Therapy is the quickest, safest way to administer vitamins, minerals and amino acids to enhance immune function, increase energy levels, and help manage a variety of chronic health problems. IV nutrients can be preventive by strengthening your body’s defenses as well as anti-aging by promoting great skin, hair, and nails to help you look and feel younger. IV is also an excellent tool to prepare for surgery, it decreases the rate of infections, complications, scar-formation and hospitalization.

IV nutrients provide rapid relief for a variety of symptoms and conditions. When you take a vitamin orally, your body must work to shift nutrients into your blood. However, when vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are infused intravenously (IV), they are delivered directly into the bloodstream bypassing the stomach and liver and supplying much higher doses of certain nutrients than could typically be given orally.

An IV infusion delivers 100% of each vitamin/mineral administered providing maximum absorption for great results.

What are some of the benefits of IV Nutritional Therapy?

Fewer side effects. IV therapy bypasses the stomach and intestines. This means no upset stomach or intestinal problems like cramps, nausea, or diarrhea, which sometimes result from taking high doses of certain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and magnesium.

Corrects cellular deficits. For some patients, certain disease states can reduce the ability of orally administered nutrients to penetrate cell walls, which in turn reduces their effectiveness. When nutrients are delivered via direct IV vitamin therapy, however, they are better able to penetrate cells, making them more effective in boosting the immune system, healing damaged tissue and reducing tissues inflammation.

Boosts the immune system. Our IV (intravenous) Program uses a concentrated blend of key vitamins, minerals and amino acids that boost the body’s immune system in a way that orally administered vitamins and intramuscular vitamin injections simply cannot match. In fact, the ultra-high blood concentrations of IV vitamin C that we can provide can be just as effective as prescription medications for treating influenza and other viruses. Our unique blend of various B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and calcium have a significant effect on a variety of conditions from asthma to angina and promote whole-body health and wellness.

Is IV Nutritional Therapy Right for Me?

Most of us have some form of Gut damage due to chronic exposures to toxins in our daily environment. This leads to our bodies having a harder time absorbing the necessary nutrients for our cells to nourish in. IV therapy solves this problem by infusing directly into the bloodstream where these nutrients make their way into cells for pure nourishment.

What are the conditions treated with IV Therapy?

Here are some conditions that IV nutrition therapy proved to be helpful:

Some stress, caused by regular life challenges, is unavoidable. And while feeling nervous about a date, a work presentation or frustrated by an overprotecting parent or an obnoxious boss is not fun, nobody would compare it to the challenge that is depression, a serious illness.

Severe stress, however, is a different story. As anyone who has suffered chronic stress knows, with the resulting mood swings, sleeplessness, and low of self-esteem it can bring, the line between stress and depression can start to feel a little blurred.

Stress is the feeling that you are under too much mental or emotional pressure. You feel overwhelmed. It is triggered by something in your life happening that feels too much for you personally to handle, stretching you coping capabilities, regardless of whether others can or can’t. This might be a work issue, dealing with relationship conflict, or debt problems.

Stress isn’t an illness or a disorder, but it can develop into one if it is left to become chronic.

While a little bit of stress is normal and can have positive results like getting you motivated for exams or taking useful risks in the workplace, too much stress over too long of a period can begin to negatively affect all parts of your life.

Depression refers to an experience where you feel down most of the time which is called “low mood” and you have also lost interest in things you usually enjoy. You may also have changes in your sleep, appetite, feel guilty, demotivated and generally withdraw from others.

Depression exists in a social, psychological and biological context; that is depression is influenced by genetics, diseases, hormones, cognitive distortions, influences of family/workplace/friends, history and drug/alcohol use to name a few.

Depression is often based on old, repressed emotions that are making their way to the surface. As such, it rarely responds to logic. You can’t just ‘fix it’, or achieve or finish something that will make it go away. For example, if you moved to a new village and started feeling low, it is unlikely moving again will completely sort your depression.

Because of its irrationality, depression can often feel out of control. You might feel like you are acting like someone else altogether, unable to connect to people around you.

Depression tends to leave you feeling exhausted, even if you are sleeping (and often depression disrupts good sleep). It can feel like something is draining all your energy and like your head is filled with sand and you can’t think straight.

One if the biggest symptoms of depression is negative thinking, which can spiral into destructive thoughts if support is not sought.

What do stress and depression have in common?

both are individual (what triggers stress or depression in one person doesn’t in another)

they affect your energy levels

they affect your moods

sleeping patterns are disturbed

eating patterns can be disturbed (under or overeating)

you are ‘not yourself’

you can struggle to function normally

you can be irritable

you might feel less interested in socializing with friends and family

they both can feel overwhelming

you might not be able to concentrate

both affect the body’s stress response mechanism

both have been found to physically affect the brain in similar ways

How are stress and depression different?

stress tends to resolve if life events change vsdepression can last up to years

stress tends to have an obvious trigger vs depression can hit out of nowhere

stress is related to life events vs depression can happen even if life seems fine

stress is related to current events vsdepression can be linked to unresolved past events

stress can cause depression or anxiety disorders if left untreated vs depression can cause suicidal thoughts if left untreated

stress leads to adrenaline highs followed by crashes vs depression leads to fatigue

stress at very high levels has risk of heart attack vsdepression at high levels has risk of suicide

low stress can be okay and keep you motivated vs low depression can still be debilitating

Another interesting comparison was done by Dr.Christie Fleetwood, ND. If you overlay the symptoms of Stress and Major Depression Disorder (MDD) as outlined by DSM-5 (a handbook used by health care professionals in the mental health area as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders), you would notice that there are only 3 major differences:

Drug and alcohol abuse, tobacco use listed with Stress

Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, worthlessness, listed with Depression…which could lead to….

According to Health Canada, drugs include both prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals; biologically-derived products such as vaccines, blood derived products, and products produced through biotechnology; tissues and organs; disinfectants; and radio-pharmaceuticals. According to the Food and Drug Act, a drug includes any substance or mixture of substances manufactured, sold or represented for use in:

the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of a disease, disorder, abnormal physical state, or the symptoms thereof in man or animal

restoring, correcting or modifying organic functions in man or animal, or

disinfection in premises in which food is manufactured, prepared or kept

Natural health products, such as vitamin and mineral supplements and herbal products for which therapeutic claims are made are also considered drugs at the level of the Food and Drugs Act; however, these products are regulated as natural health products under the Natural Health Products Regulations and not as drugs under the Food and Drug Regulations. They are seen as a sub-set of drugs now.

Another important theoretical distinction in the eyes of the authorities is this:

Drugs are considered unsafe until proven safe

Dietary supplements are considered safe until proven unsafe

Based on this conceptual difference, FDA and Health Canada consider new drugs to be unsafe until they are proven safe through clinical trials. And they must approve any new drug before it can be legally sold in the US or Canada. Clinical trials are studies done under well-controlled conditions on human volunteers. They are expensive. These tests must be done on all drugs – even those that are sold over the counter (without a prescription). The Health Canada approval process requires that the drug be proven in a series of clinical trials. These studies must show “substantial evidence” that the drug is both safe and effective for each of its intended uses. This level of scrutiny does not apply to natural health products. Manufacturers of supplements are not required to test new ingredients or supplements in clinical trials.

Under the Natural Health Products Regulations in Canada, which came into effect on January 1, 2004, natural health products (NHPs) are defined as:

Vitamins and minerals

Herbal remedies

Homeopathic medicines

Traditional medicines such as traditional Chinese medicines

Probiotics

Other products like amino acids and essential fatty acids

Natural Health Products must be safe to use as over-the-counter products and not need a prescription to be sold. Vitamins and minerals are regulated as a sub-set of drugs because they are considered to be natural health products.

A quick search in the Drug Product Database for vitamins, mineral and other so perceived “natural products” will reveal this: vitamin A, D, Folic acid (vit.B9), vit.K1, vit.K2 all have this duality – they are dietary supplements that become drugs at certain dosages specified in the law.

Vitamin A, for example, requires a prescription when a practitioner recommends that a patient take more than 10,000 international units (IU) per dose or in the total daily intake. Similarly, vitamin D becomes a drug when taken at more than 1,000 IUs/day; vitamins K1 and K2 require a prescription at more than 0.120 mg per day.

Folic acid (vit.B9) also “behaves” like a drug when used “in oral dosage form containing more than 1.0 milligram of folic acid per dosage form or, where the largest recommended daily dosage shown on the label would, if consumed by a person, result in the daily intake by that person of more than 1.0 milligram of folic acid”.

Why is this important? For naturopaths who commonly incorporate recommendations for supplements and vitamins as part of their practice, this is extremely important. In order to do so at the levels noted above (where the vitamin becomes a drug), a naturopath must first have successfully completed the Ontario Therapeutic Prescribing course and examination. It is fairly common for naturopaths to recommend high dose vitamins to patients; however, naturopaths who recommend patients take vitamins at levels that are above the limits and who have not completed the necessary course and exam will have breached the regulation and are subject to prosecution by the College for professional misconduct.

Mifegymiso, also known by the name RU-486, is a two-drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol that can be used to terminate a pregnancy in Canada up to 49 days (7 weeks) from the start of the last menstrual period. American women can now take it up to 70 days into a pregnancy.

Mifegymiso, already used in more than 60 countries for decades, is free as of August 10th in Ontario. It took a decade for the drug to be approved in Canada, one of the longest drug-approval processes ever. The Province is poised to give women more autonomy over their reproductive health and rights. It is touted as a way to give women in rural and remote areas a less invasive option to terminate their pregnancies.

This drug was approved for use in Canada in July 2015 after a lengthy study by Health Canada. It has slowly become available for distribution in Canada since then.

Health Canada office

Women will be able to fill their prescription at a pharmacy and have the abortion — which is the same experience as an early-term miscarriage — at home.
Doctors must also confirm the pregnancy is in its early stages with an ultrasound before the drug can be prescribed and to make sure there are no medical complications (especially ectopic pregnancy).

Mifegymiso has been available with a prescription since January 2017 in Ontario, but cost between $300 and $400. Pharmacists bill the ministry $337.25 for the drug, which includes the mark-up and dispensing fee. Doctors prescribing it have to take an online training course of six hours. For the patient, now it’s free in Ontario.

A few words about the two drugs that compose Mifegymiso.
First drug is Mifepristone: this is synthetic steroid which block the progesterone receptors, inducing contraction in the myometrium (the smooth muscle that comprises the middle layer of the uterine wall) which will start the expulsion of the fetus. It has a boxed warning (highest level of warning that FDA requires sometimes) for bacterial infection and bleeding that were reported when used for termination of pregnancy (with an atypical presentation) but these side effects were very rare.
The second drug is Misoprostol: this is a prostaglandin. It is used to reduce the amount of acid released by the stomach and protecting the stomach lining, which helps to reduce the risk of stomach ulcers. It was discovered that has abortifacient properties when women taking it for stomach ulcers had the surprise of their lives when they started to bleed and lost their pregnancy. So now it comes with a boxed warning too, saying that “ADMINISTRATION TO WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS, ABORTION, PREMATURE BIRTH OR UTERINE RUPTURE”.
So imagine now these two drugs taken together.
The combination is highly effective in inducing an abortion, with a 95- to 98-percent effectiveness rate.

Mifegymiso is a composite pack containing one mifepristone 200 mg tablet for oral use and four misoprostol 200 mcg tablets for oral use and there is a 2-step process when you want to take this that will be explained to you when you get your prescription. It is important to take it exactly as prescribed.

The side effects: mainly bleeding (up to 10 days), pain and cramping. Other side effects can or may include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever/chills, headache, dizziness and weakness.
All patients should be followed up by a physician 7 to 14 days after taking this to confirm complete pregnancy termination and to verify that there is no excessive bleeding or infection.

You’ve probably heard of this…or seen the mushrooming of the stores in Toronto, if you drive along Danforth Ave or Kingston Road…full of store with this name on them: VAPE.

What is it?

Vaping can be defined as the act of inhaling and exhaling the water vapor produced by an electric device called vaporizer (also called a vape, or e-cigarette).

e-liquid

And if you’re wondering what is the “smoke” that comes out of the person’s mouth, well, it’s the e-liquid in gaseous form that is inhaled and exhaled by vapers. It usually looks thicker than smoke, but dissipates more quickly into the air and smells stronger, usually like fruit, candy, mint or the flavoring used.

Vaping is a tobacco-free, and in some cases even nicotine-free, version of a traditional tobacco cigarette, but we don’t use the word smoking as there is no smoke per see, there is only flavored water vapors that you inhale and exhale.

These stores sell these vaporizers and the flavorings that the customers use.

The history of Vaping

In contrary to the popular belief that vaporizers were “invented” a few years ago, their history dates back thousands of years. The earliest mention of vaping can be seen in the book called The History of Herodotus by the Greek Historian Herodotus. He talks about the first use of vaping while writing about the customs and traditions of Scythians, a massive clan of Iranian Eurasian rovers who used to live in the lands of what is now Southern Russia, back in 500BC. Scythians would throw weed on red-hot stones, which would turn into vapor immediately, and they would bathe in it and inhale it. Probably not the most sophisticated vaporizer, but that surely was an interesting ritual.

Irfan Sheikh – the physician of the Mughal emperor Akbar I (1542 – 1605 AD) – is accredited with inventing hookah, many consider it a key step towards the making of the modern vaporizer.

Skipping to more recent times, in the 1960s, a Korean War veteran Herbert A. Gilbert invented, and patented, the first e-cigarette as an alternative to burnt tobacco. His smokeless, non-tobacco cigarette resembled a modern e-cigarette: it included flavor cartridges, heating elements, and smokeless flavored air. Unfortunately it was never commercially realized. Manufacturers were enjoying the height of the tobacco cigarette in the 1960s, when cigarette ads and public smoking ran rampant. There was no need for a less addictive, and healthier alternative to smoking.

In the 2000s, Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist and small-time medical researcher made the first modern e-cigarette. Motivated by his own smoking addiction, and his father’s death from smoking-induced lung cancer, Hon Lik spent numerous years building a smokeless cigarette that worked. In 2006, he released his first e-cigarette to the international public. It contained a battery, plastic cartridge, ultrasonic atomizer and a nicotine solution suspended in propylene glycol.

By 2006 e-cigarettes had made their way to Europe, and then to North America. They started off as quite expensive items, but over the years, as more companies manufactured them, the price came down and popularity went up.

Canadian Vaping laws

At this time in Canada, electronic cigarettes (aka e-cigarettes, e-cigs, vapes, vaporizers, etc.) are 100% legal to use as individuals. There are currently no regulations as to where you can use them, with a few exceptions. There are however several municipal vaping regulations that have been created by municipalities and provinces.

You must be 19 to purchase e-cigarettes and vaping supplies. — Enacted Jan 1, 2016. Similar to tobacco products, it is illegal to buy and sell e-cigarettes and vaping supplies to anyone under the age of 19. It is required by law for vape shops in Ontario to receive proper government approved Identification from the customer before selling them e-cigarettes or supplies. Also, it is now illegal to use e-cigarettes (vape) in non-smoking areas.

No vaping sign

Data from the 2015 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey suggests that in 2015, 26 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 19 reported having ever tried an e-cigarette, up from 20 per cent in 2013.

For all businesses in Ontario, the use of e-cigarettes indoors now falls within the scope of the Smoke Free Ontario regulations. This means that use of an e-cigarette is restricted in exactly the same way as tobacco cigarettes.

Is Vaping Really Safe?

Well, this is a question that usually follows the question what is vaping. So, instead of giving you my personal opinion, let me simply state some of the results of some of the researches carried out to find the answer:

Vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking – Public Health England

Vaporizers are many times less harmful than traditional tobacco cigarettes, and vaping can even help smokers quit – American Heart Association

The proven advantages of vaping outweigh its “potential” harms. Vaporizers are the first genuinely new way of helping people quit smoking that we have seen in many years – Royal College of Physicians – England

So, is vaping safe? Well, despite all these researches and studies, we can’t say that vaporizers pose absolutely no threat to your health. But what is 100% safe? So let’s put the answer this way: vaping is safer than smoking, and can be a great aid in harm-reduction for people who want to quit smoking.

e-cig vs cigarette

And because e-cigarettes have been on the market for only about 10 years, there have been no long-term studies of people who have used them for 30 to 40 years. Therefore, the full extent of vaping effects on heart and lung health, as well as its cancer-causing potential over time is not known.

Another unanswered question is how the flavorings used in the devices may affect people’s health. Nearly 500 brands and 7,700 flavors of e-cigarettes are currently on sale in USA and Canada. It’s not yet known whether these flavorings have any respiratory effects when they are vaporized and inhaled. More research is needed to identify any hazards associated with the potential inhalation of flavoring agents.

It is already a well-established fact now that your genes can help tell you what to eat and influence how diet affects your health. It has long been apparent that some people respond differently from others to certain foods.

Genes also can help explain why people choose the foods they do—for example why some people have a greater tendency for sweets or salt, for instance. And this test in particular also can show how our bodies respond to different types of exercise.

Genetic testing has gained widespread use in many areas, especially in helping to determine our risk for developing various diseases, from cancer to cardiovascular conditions. Another, more recent use for genetic testing is known as pharmacogenomics, which can help doctors predict which of several medications a patient is taking is most likely to benefit that individual patient.

Nutrigenomix is a University of Toronto start-up biotechnology company that is dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals and their patients with comprehensive, reliable information with the ultimate goal of improving health through personalized nutrition.

NUTRIGENOMIX

The Nutrigenomix® 45 Gene Test from this company provides you with the latest that science has to offer in personalized nutritional counselling.

This comprehensive genetic test consists of a panel of 45 genetic markers that enable a naturopath to provide a patient with personalized nutrition advice and physical activity recommendations tailored to your DNA.

This test can help you determine how you respond to key components of your diet as well as physical activity.

The roots of Thermography, or heat differentiation, are ancient, dating back to the time of the pyramids. A papyrus from 1700 BC documents the association of temperature with disease.

By 400 BC, physicians commonly employed a primitive form of Thermography: they applied a thin coat of mud to a patient’s body, observed the patterns made by the different rates of mud drying, and attributed those patterns to hot and cold temperatures on the surface of the body. Hippocrates summed it up: “In whatever part of the body excess of heat or cold is felt, the disease is there to be discovered.”

Fast forward 2,000 years and thermography is gaining more and more acceptance in the medical world.

Here, at the Family Naturopathic Clinic, we consider thermography as a very important and unique “Health Discovery Technology” that provides thousands of patients with peace of mind when they may be questioning new or unusually concerning health symptoms.

Skin blood flow is under the control of the sympathetic nervous system. In normal people there is a symmetrical dermal pattern which is consistent and reproducible for any individual. This is recorded in precise detail with a temperature sensitivity of 0.1 Celsius with our scanner.

In addition, thermography can assist in the discovery of the state of health in general. You may have heard of thermography as a safe method of breast health screening…but it can be that and so much more!

Role in Breast Cancer screening

Thermography is a painless, non-invasive, state of the art clinical test without any exposure to radiation and is used as part of an early detection program which gives women of all ages the opportunity to increase their chances of detecting breast disease at an early stage. It is particularly useful for women under 50 where mammography is less effective.

Thermography’s role in breast cancer and other breast disorders is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology and the establishment of risk factors for the development or existence of cancer. When used with other procedures the best possible evaluation of breast health is made.

This test is designed to improve chances for detecting fast-growing, active tumors in the intervals between mammographic screenings or when mammography is not indicated by screening guidelines for women under 50 years of age.

All patients thermograms (breast images) are kept on record and form a baseline for all future routine evaluations.

Abnormal presentation of the legs

To sum up, the clinical uses for Infrared Thermal Imaging include:

To define the extent of a lesion of which a diagnosis has previously been made;

To localize an abnormal area not previously identified, so further diagnostic tests can be performed;

To detect early lesions before they are clinically evident;

To monitor the healing process before the patient is returned to work or training.

Over the past two decades, it has been determined through extensive clinical studies that inflammation is not just a result of sickness, but the actual CAUSE of serious, life threatening conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Inflammation, most often initially caused by the bio-chemical results of stress, creates an environment that allows these kinds of diseases to establish and flourish. This condition is silent but not invisible… if you can just put yourself in front of an infrared camera and an experienced thermographer. This is why you should use thermography… knowledge offers the power to take control of your future health and the length and quality of your life.